Covering for roofs and the like.



J. E. MUNRO. GOVERING Fon Roofs AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION IILBD JAN. 2, 1909. 967,542, Patented Aug. 16,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

@mi bnc-aoco UNITED STATES PATENT oFFr-cn..

JAMES BI. MUNRO, OF yNV'EIVAB'K, NEW JERSE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN MILTON VAN ORDEN,- OF NEWARK,

COVERING-FOR ROOFS AND THE LIKE.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

'Application mea January- 2, 1909. vsmal No. 470,387.'

To ,all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES l-I. Munito,- of i Newark, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Coverings for Roofs and the Like, of which the followingdescription, in .connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters onv the drawings designating like parts.

' This invention relates to coverings for roofs and the like, andis of special utility when-embodied in the construction of roofing units possessing some of the properties'` of roong tiles, as for example the easewith which they maybe handled and their durability, but of much less weight, less exense of. manufacture and laying,

more pleasing ,in appearance, so that theymay be. substitutedv with benefit on roofs where at the present day the cheapnessof the slaoor gravel roofs constitutes a reason for; their installation, in spite of their relative lack of permanence and unsightly ap- '35 pearance after their decadence begins.v

Another important obj ect of my invention is to provide a roofing unit of substantial thickness which may be more readily vbent 'than a certain Well-known type or tile which i0 may be described briefly as an aggloinerate of as halt, usually the common vdiscarded aspha t from worn-outv streets, or waste asphalt, with grit of some sort, compressed under blocks and laid iAn abutting relation,

i5 but lacking in flexibility so far as' the individual units are concerned.

. In the construction of slag roofs and gravel roofs at the present day, large areas of roof are covered with pitch or asphalt in a relatively thick layer and thereafter sowed or sprinkled with granular material Such as slag, gravel orthe like, the binder or foun` dation being as a rule of a low melting pitch which under the inlluence of different temperatures (runs, cracks, and loses lts lgrip `a suitable binder in quantities su I upon thetgranular surface material, so that deprived of this protection the pitch weathers badly, runs andotherwise loses its integrity and quality as a water-proofing.

" To accomplish my object of providing a cheap, efficient and permanent substitute for slag roofs and iniexible tiles, I prefer to' utilize similar materials to those used in the construction of these' earlier roof-coverings, and accordingly I prefer to assemble in a suitable holder aquantity o f granular or gritty material such=as gravel, slag, broken stone, slate or brickor other'mineral substance, to i a thickness not di'ering greatly under ordinary circumstances' from that of inflexible 7o or other tiles for roofing purposes, and of a size similar tothe stock sizes of roofing tiles, although I Vcontemplate under favorable circumstances using a somewhat larger 'unit of tile to facilitate speedy lcovering of a given area of'roof and also to lessen the cost of material thereto cient to unite the component granules permanently 80 manufacturing. The granular having thusbeen assembled, Iappl and to render the unit substantially impervious to moisture preferably, although where laid upon a suitable water-proof foundation, this imperviousquality is not so imp0rtant. as the capability of the unit for wear; and I prefer also that the binding action shall be of such a character as to permit some degree of flexibility in the individual tile units, this not being absolutely essential to my inven-4 tion in its broadest form. In' certain situations, as in gutters and other curved surfaces commonly found on roofs, and on structural parts such as ridges, posts and towers, balconies and store fronts or bay windows, avery considerable degree of flexibility inthe individual tiles will permit thelr used in a much wider variety of situations than atthe present day, and to permit such adaptation, I provide a high ldegree of flexibility and eXpansibility by interruptingthe surface of the tile in one or more regionsfas for example by scoring the surface and sometimes by dividing it into a pluralityof subsidiary parts, which may be connected' by suitable backing of fieXible 105 material to form a unit which can be laid as a whole, in abutting relation with similar units.

The various features of my invention will be illustrated and described fully in the accompanying drawings and specifications and pointed out in claims.

Inthe drawingsr--Figures 1 and\2 are views in vertical section of a unit for roofing, .embodying my invention, and shown in course of manufacture: Fig.` 3 shows the completed unit in perspective: Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Figs.- 1 and 2 of modified forms of unit in course of manufacture:

suitable binder, which may able material, but which will preferably be ,of a material or substance Fig. 6 is a plan view of a roofing unit scored to promote conformation to irregular surfaces, in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of the same, on the line 7-7, Fig. 6: Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of a modified form of scored. unit: Figs. 9 and 10 are views on a smaller scale, similarto Fig. 7, showing the scored unit in convex and con- .cave curves: Fig. 11 shows in section a unit provided with a similar to that of Fig. 7 backing, and fractured along the scored lines; and Figs. 12, 13 and 14 show a modified backing.

In i he embodiment of my invention selected for illustration and description to en--` able ready and complete understanding of my improvements, and referring first to Figs. l to 5, the reference numeral 1 designates an aggregation of granules or pieces of material, such as gravel, slag grit, broken stone, brick or mineral, intro uced temporarily within a suitable frame or holder 2 of woodl or metal or other 'suitable material which for .the sake'of convenience may be placed upon a backing 3 resting upon a suitable. supporting surface 4, preferably level,

y in instances where the unit to be formed'I is for the purpose of -a rooling'unit. Ithen,"

in accordance. withfmy invention, apply a be of any suithavin'lg a high melting point soI as not to be affected by heat in summer ori/at low latitudes, and which is also preferably highly tenacious, somewhat elastic, and impervious to moisture, a suitable .substance for this purpose being asphaltum With but a slight admixtureqof sand or pulverized grit, the latter only being used where itl is found that that binder lacks consistency, and being dispensable in many instances. In Figs. 2 and 3 this binder is indicated by the dark material 5 in the interstices between the granules 1, Fig. 2 showing place ofthe slag or gravel part of the tile, and in that event I may apply a somewhat greater .proportion of binding material relatively to the space occupied by the granules, especially in the stratum 6 .shown in Fig. 4'intervening between the unit proper 7 and the i'iexible backing of roof paper, cloth or other suitable material 8J Where a neater finish is desired on the top and bottom I may form strata (as shown in Fig. 5, for example) of binding ,material, 9 and 10, and the hacker 11 is shown at the top in this instance, where it remains` connected with the unit 12 after the holder 13 has been reversed, the temporary false backing14 removed, and the unit cleared from the holder.

I have shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 a unit formed of asphaltum or other suitable material as the principal ingredient, with such grit, gdranules or other particles as may be desire to. latter being disregarded in these figures, which are intended to illustrate the scoring by which additional flexibility is imparted to the unit, the composition of this unit being considered for the sake of illustration as similar to that of an inexible tile. Expansibility is also served by scoring.

In 'accordance with my invention the material of the unit is scored at 15, dividing the sameY intoa considerable number of subsidiary unit portions 16, the scorin being shown as extending substantially tirough the thickness of the unit, and Figs. 9 and 10 show on a smaller scale the manner in which a unit thus formed may be flexed to present a convex or concave surface. y

In Fig. 8 the scorings 17 do not extend so deeply into the material of the unit 18, and if the' material thereof be not sufficiently flexible, I` contemplate the possibility of a fracture occurring along the lines lof the scorings when the unit is bent. Proper waterroofing upon the underlying roof will ren er`such fractures negligible. 1

In Fig. 11 I have shown a iinit 19 scored at 20 and providedwith a backing 21 secured by a layer 22 of cement, the unit being shown as applied to a curved surface an showing fractures 23 where the unit has been bent.

In the modification shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, the backing of the units takes the form of shingles 24, to the exposed portions 25 of which a composition 26 of grit and binder has been applied, preferably before the shingles are laid, and preferably extending over the edges of the individual shingles. Havin described my invention thus fully an suitable means for lcarrying same into effect, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular construction` illustrated and described nor to the specific materials cited nor ingeneral other give the same consistency, the

wise than as set forth in the claims read in connection with this specification'.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A unit for coverings, for roofs and the like; comprising an extended qsurface of weather resisting material weakened at intervals to permit fracture in conforming to the surface to be covered, and havin a backin to which said surface materia is secure b a stratum of flexible cement; substantia ly as described.

2. A tile for roofs and the like; said tile consisting of I a wear-resisting layer of ,granular material frangible at intervals ound by tenacious material, such as asphalt, and a backing of fibrous material; substantially `as described.

3. A tile of fran ble material presenting a hard wearing sur ace and comprising also binding or holding material to allow for' fracture or vbreakage without separation; substantially as descrlbed.

4. A tile of the class described; being weakened at intervals to permit fracture of said tile to conform to the surface to be covered; said tile being provided with binding material to close sald fractured' regions; substantially as described. y

5. A `tile of the class described; being weakened at intervals to permit fracture of said tile to conform to the surface to be covered; said tile being composed of a homogeneons composition presenting a wear-resisting 4and weather-resisting surface and having as aningredient a binding material such as bitumen to close said fractured regions under the application of heatsubsequently to said fracture.

Signed at Newark, in the county of Essexy and State of New Jersey,

this 31st day of December, 19Q8.

.JAMES H. MUNRO. Witnesses:

-A.S.' Gmnnfr,

HERMAN M. BUEHIER. 

